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BLOW-PIPE AND EGG-DRILL. 



COLLECTING AND PREPARING BIRDS* EGGS. 121 



which is easily made with an egg-drill. Remove the 

 contents with a blow-pipe, by holding the egg with the 

 hole downward, and blowing forcibly in one side of it. 



Should an egg contain an embryo, it can be removed 

 with a small hook, or fill the shell with water, and 

 change it frequently until the embryo has decomposed 

 sufficiently to run off. 



The matter in the eggs '^ ' ^ 



of sea-birds is very 

 glutinous and difficult 

 to extract. This is 

 specially true of the eggs of the razor-billed auk, and 

 Arctic puffin. Immediately after being blown, the shells 

 should be washed out first with cold water, and then 

 with weak carbolic acid water. Ragged holes in eggs can 

 be improved by pasting gold-beater's skin over them. 



Eggs should be numbered with a lead-pencil, and the 

 numbers duplicated in a note-book, under which should 

 be written the date of collection, name of species, and 

 any thing else of interest. Then arrange in sets in a cabi- 

 net with drawers of various depth to accommodate them. 

 Eggs show to the best advantage, and are less liable to be 

 broken, when set in grated cork or colored sawdust in 

 small boxes. 



